SCOTUS strikes down conversion therapy ban

[Morphine Prince 109,655]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ kids in Colorado, one of about two dozen states that ban the discredited practice.

An 8-1 high court majority sided with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First Amendment. The justices agreed that the law raises free speech concerns and sent it back to a lower court to decide if it meets a legal standard that few laws pass.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the court, said the law “censors speech based on viewpoint.” The First Amendment, he wrote, “stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country.”

Gorsuch’s opinion drew support from liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-conversion-therapy-colorado-92b34295f9ef497a4a1cbeb56c9b74c6

 

[djfreemymind 1,330]

Justice Ketanji Brown is the only one who gets it 

[Guest]

That is absolutely mind boggling and other worldly to me. But I guess technicalities for the first amendment ruling in the decision... makes it less strange, but I'm not sure how this is suddenly okay to strike down based freedom of speech wasn't used on other bans targeting minorities are still being ignored (such as books).

Edited April 1 by Agunimon

[Meruk Holland 2,358]

I could maybe understand this justification for adult conversion therapy, since that is (usually) elective and voluntary - albeit, how voluntary is it when they are typically doing it to appease family and/or religion? - but the fact that this ban was in place for children, who do not get the option to opt out, is what makes this especially gross. If anything, forcing children to participate in conversion therapy (and religion, for that matter) violates their 1st Amendment rights. 

[BrandyFinest 851]

Even the "progressive" members (bar Kentanji) stuck this down lol. 

I don't give a **** about what laws "align" with the constitution, I straight up don't, why should we? Our constitution isn't a particularly exceptional one (how "free" do you really feel)and it serves symbolic purposes more than anything. Black Men had the right to vote in the constitution, but for years that certainly wasn't the reality they were living. Funny how swift the government was to infringe on the 2nd amendment once the Black Panther party started arming themselves against rabid racists who wanted them dead.

We don't even adhere to the constitution, so to use it as a justification to preserve an institution(conversion therapy) that is in embedded with abuse and sexual assault is so bullshit. 

 

[BrandyFinest 851]

5 minutes ago, Meruk Holland said:

forcing children to participate in conversion therapy (and religion, for that matter) violates their 1st Amendment rights. 

They don't care about children, that is because the supreme court only exists to preserve the order under the guise of "constitutional rights" 

[Sepsami 20,970]

"The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, guarantees fundamental freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition."

Right because me not being able to enforce my religious beliefs upon gay kids is an infringement upon my religious freedom, never mind the kid that is literally just trying to live their life with the same freedom of choice and religion. Sh*t is actually crazy. 

[Sepsami 20,970]

1 hour ago, Meruk Holland said:

I could maybe understand this justification for adult conversion therapy, since that is (usually) elective and voluntary - albeit, how voluntary is it when they are typically doing it to appease family and/or religion? - but the fact that this ban was in place for children, who do not get the option to opt out, is what makes this especially gross. If anything, forcing children to participate in conversion therapy (and religion, for that matter) violates their 1st Amendment rights. 

That's the thing though, no one would feel the need to go through conversation therapy if they weren't being hit over the head with a dogmatic book that states they are abominations.

[PartySick 172,533]

Even some Republicans have spoken out about this.

Conversion therapy isn't an expression of religious freedom, it's mental abuse, emotional manipulation, grooming of minors, and often it's just plain torture.

Religion is a sickness.